Self-Study Guide • Curriculum Committee

Establish an Interdisciplinary Public Health Genetics Curriculum Committee

Many educational initiatives occurring today are interdisciplinary in nature, therefore the initiation or expansion of a genetics curriculum within an School of Public Health (SPH) will benefit from faculty expertise that broadly represents the school and the discipline of human genetics. Interdisciplinary participation helps to promote wide involvement from faculty and students throughout the SPH; enhances the design, evaluation, and revision of the curriculum; and promotes student recruitment activities within each department. The formation of a Public Health Genetics Curriculum Committee (hereafter referred to as the Curriculum Committee) is one of the first steps in developing a new curriculum. Representation from each department within the SPH should be sought, along with participation from relevant centers of genetics expertise (medical school, basic sciences, nursing, genetic counseling, law, etc.) as this committee will be designing the new curriculum, or directing the expansion of an existing curriculum. Such a committee will want to set goals for their activities along with a timeline for their completion. Some initial activities of the Curriculum Committee may include the following:

A. Outcome Competencies
The outcome competencies developed for Public Health Genetics: An Education Model are listed below and may serve as a template for other programs. Upon completion of the curriculum sequence students should be able to:

• understand and describe the principles of inheritance, including basic cellular and molecular mechanisms
• understand and apply epidemiological and mathematical approaches to the study of risk factors and diseases with a genetic component
• identify interactions among genes, environmental factors, and behaviors
• understand how genetic principles and technology apply to the diagnosis, screening, and intervention of human disease, with relevance to disease prevention and health promotion programs in public health
• incorporate genetic information into the public health activities of assessment, assurance and policy development to promote health, while protecting individual privacy and autonomy and preventing discrimination
• describe the methods used to address ethical, legal, social and financial implications of the application of genetic principles and technology.

B. Instructional Faculty
In concert with the above steps, the Curriculum Committee will want to identify instructional faculty within the SPH and the home institution who have the expertise to support the curriculum as instructors and student advisors. This may include identifying basic science, clinical, legal and bioethical faculty resources with human genetics expertise.

1. ASSESS EXISTING RESOURCES. Assess the existing faculty resources within the home institution, including SPH permanent, joint, and adjunct appointments. Determine whether the development of the new curriculum includes the possibility of new and/or joint faculty recruitment.
2. IDENTIFY EXPERTISE. The Curriculum Committee will want to identify instructional faculty within the SPH and the home institution who have the expertise to support the curriculum as instructors and student advisors. This may include examining the resources of the medical, basic science, philosophy, nursing, legal, social work and undergraduate schools and departments.
3. IDENTIFY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. The Curriculum Committee may wish to explore the following professional societies who have members in local areas:
   • The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). An organization supporting the research and educational needs of basic and clinical scientists in human genetics.
   • The American College of Medical Genetics (ABMG). An organization that supports the professional and educational needs of clinical geneticists.
   • The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). An organization that supports the professional and educational needs of genetic counselors.
   • The American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) and the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). These are the accrediting and certifying boards for practitioners of genetic counseling, clinical genetics, medical genetics, biochemical genetics, cytogenetics, and molecular genetics.
4. IDENTIFY OTHER SPH's WITH ESTABLISHED HUMAN GENETICS CURRICULUM. Communicating with other SPH's which have established curriculum offerings in public health genetics can be beneficial. Since this is a quickly expanding landscape, we refer you to the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) for specific contact information.

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In you have any questions, please contact: geneticsed@umich.edu